What do you call somebody who ordered a $400 television and received a $2,000 rifle? A very lucky man:
Seth Horvitz tells DCist that he had purchased a flat-screen HDTV for he and his wife from one of Amazon’s affiliated sellers. What arrived was a decidedly non-TV shaped box containing a Sig Sauer SIG716, a $2,000 rifle manufactured by Swiss Arms AG.
Semi-automatic firearms like the SIG716 are actually illegal in Washington, D.C. and even transporting them through the state is a serious crime. Horvitz called the cops upon discovering the box’s content, which was smart since keeping it in his home — or transporting it in his car — could have landed him in serious trouble otherwise. Attempting to return it could also have been very, very bad.
Considering the laws in Washington DC I think I would have kept my mouth shut. As the story points out transporting the firearm is illegal so one can’t bring it to the intended recipient, the intended recipient can’t collect it, and it can’t be taken to the police. On top of that mere possession of the rifle is illegal in the city. Basically Mr. Horvitz was in a catch-22 and his best option would have been to shut up, hide the rifle or smuggle it out of Washington DC, and if anybody came looking for the missing rifle to claim he never received any package (while possibly noting that he still hasn’t received the television he ordered, implying concern about packages being stolen).
This is another example of why gun control is absurd. The simple act of receiving a package accidentally runs the risk of landing one in very hot water with the local authorities. Fortunately the Washington DC police haven’t decided to prosecute Mr. Horvitz for being in possession of an illegal weapon but they could change their minds.
A hat tip goes to The Firearm Blog for this story.
Only for the fact that I was in DC would I call the police to inform them of this mistake. Anywhere else in the country excepting Kommiefornia and I would have just made a call about never receiving my television.
Actually, the fact it occurred in Washington DC is the reason I wouldn’t have reported it. It would take nothing for a local police officer to arrest you on charges of possessing an illegal weapon. In most cases I would try to ensure the rifle was delivered to its rightful owner.
Man, I order all kinds of things on Amazon, and I have *never* had my order accidentally replaced with a rifle of any kind. What’s up with that?
I know, it’s disappointing. I’m still holding out hope that someday after ordering a book I’ll receive a nice new rifle instead.